Rāhiri is the ancestor from which most Ngāpuhi trace their ancestry. He is credited with the whakatauki “mehe mea, he Ngapuhi koe, kihai koe i puta i a Rāhiri, he hoiho ke koe” that is; If you claim to be Ngapuhi and did not descend from Rāhiri, you are a horse.

Rāhiri is descendant from the noble line of Rangatira who were amoung the first to land here in Aotearoa. He has a direct genealogical linage from Kupe, the first Māori who discovered Aotearoa and his mokopuna, Nukutawhiti who re-adzed the hull of his Tupuna’s waka and sailed Ngatokimatawhaorua to these shores. He is also a direct descendant of Awa and his son Awanui of the Mamari waka.

Rāhiri’s father was Tauramoko and his mother was Hauangiangi, a daughter of Puhimoanariki, of Ngāti Awa descent, who relieved his Tuakana, Toroa, of the waka Matātua and sailed north to establish his own tribe in the north. There are many who claim that this Puhimoanariki is the eponymous ancestor of the Ngāpuhi Tribe. There is however no oral tradition or whakapapa to support this korero. According to my TÅ«puna this is incorrect. Ngāpuhi was established in Hawaiki long before our TÅ«puna sailed to these shores. This according to my TÅ«puna is some 23 generations before Rāhiri. (refer previous pamphlet for history of Ngāpuhi)

Rāhiri had three wives of note with the first being Ahuaiti, of Ngai Tahuhu descent, bearing him a son called Uenukukuare. They lived in the Mangakāhia valley area at a place called “Whangaparaua”. Rāhiri had left Whangaparaua whilst Ahuaiti was still pregnant with their son. When Uenukukuare matured into manhood he inquired of his mother where his father resided. Ahuaiti then told Uenukukuare, “me mitimiti haere e koe i te awa nei, ka tae e koe ki te wai totetote, kei reira ke to Matua” Follow this river tasting of its waters as you travel, when the water turns salty, there you will find your father.

Rāhiri then married Whakaruru who bore him four children. The most famous of these children was a son called Kaharau. Kaharau lived with his father at WhÄ«ria Pā in Pākanae, Hokianga. He learned all the karakia and fighting traits from his famous father. In later years Uenukukuare was to visit Hokianga and claim his Tuakanatanga from his brother Kaharau. It was here that Rāhiri tied his famous fighting taiaha to the tails of a Manuaute (kite), and tossed it into the air from the peak of WhÄ«ria Pā. It is said to have landed at Tuhuna, at the end of Squires Lane, Kaikohe. Rāhiri then stated to his two sons that all the whenua to the east of Tahuna was to be the domain of the Tuakana (elder brother), Uenukukuare and all the whenua west of Tahuna was to be the domain of the Teina (younger sibling), Kaharau.

Uenukukuare then marries Kareariki, a descendant of Tahuhunuiarangi, of Pouerua fame. This union produces five offspring; Uewhati, Maikuku, Hauhaua, Tamure and Ruakiwhiria. These children all become prominent ancestors of the oldest known Hapū in Ngāpuhi.

Kaharau marries Kohinemataroa which union produces many offspring amoung, which is born a son Taurapoho. Taurapoho then marries his first cousin, Ruakiwhiria, the youngest daughter of Uenukukuare and Kareariki. This then begins the lines of descent to the Ngāpuhi nation, as we know it today. Rāhiri was also recorded as having a third wife, Moetonga from the Kaeo area. Whether this union produced issue or not, I do not know. Another claim is that Rāhiri had another wife who was of Te Kapotai descent and in fact a maunga was named in his memory. The maunga is Rahirikawa. This last story need to be checked for authenticity as it is not from my Tūpuna..

From the union of Uenukukuare and Kareariki we follow the lines of descent. The most famous union was the marriage of Maikuku to Huatangangaroa from Whangaroa. Huatakangaroa being the eponymous ancestor of Te Uri O Hua, Takotoke and Ngāti Kuri Hapū of Kohewhata. This union produced six offspring, which dominate Ngāpuhi whakapapa. These children were: Te Rā, Rangiheketini, Kaiangaanga, Torongare, Kaa and Ruakino.

The Tuakana Te Rā is the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Rāhiri of Waitangi and Ngāti Kawa of Oromahoe. Rangiheketini is the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Rangi domiciled in Taiāmai, Ngāwha, Tautoro and Mataraua areas. The union of Torongare with her uncle Hauhaua produced one of the Wāhine Rangatira of Ngāpuhi, Hineamaru who is the eponymous ancestor of Ngāti Hine who reside in the Moerewa, Kawakawa, Matawaia, and Waiomio areas.

This is a short synopsis of the Ngāpuhi whakapapa, which goes on forever. There are many HapÅ« not mentioned within this summary. There is just no room to mention them at this point. I think that is why Te RÅ«nanga-Ā-Iwi O Ngāpuhi needs to get the HapÅ« stories written and recorded for future generations. In this way we may be able to preserve our unique stories and history of the Ngāpuhi nation. The influence of western ideology and recording styles has rendered our oral tradition redundant and the stories must be written or they will be lost forever.